Gender Based Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Initiative

Gender Based Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Initiative aims to reduce and ultimately end gender based violence and sexual assault in the city.

In an effort to make Edmonton the best city in Canada for women, men and children to live work and play, the City is committed to preventing and addressing gender based violence. This initiative targets the root causes: inequality and discrimination.

This City Council initiative looks to engage all Edmontonians, but in particular, champions the role that men and boys play in the building of allyship and bystander skills to make our city safer, while improving the quality of life for people of all genders.

What is Gender Based Violence?

Gender based violence is the discrimination of someone based on their gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender. (Source: Status of Women Canada)

Often it is inflicted by someone who believes their own gender is superior, therefore they feel it gives them a right to control and/or hurt their victim.

Gender based violence is rooted in and intensified by other forms of discrimination such as racism, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and poverty.

If you are in immediate danger call 911. For non-emergency assistance call 310-1818 (Family Violence Information Line) or 211 (Alberta Information and Referrals).

Did You Know?

Canadian statistics report 1 in 6 women you know will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime

Every hour of every day, a woman in Alberta is a victim of some form of violence by an intimate partner

Almost 70% of domestic violence incidents in Edmonton go unreported

Indigenous women are more than 8 times as likely to be killed by their intimate partner and 3.5 times likely to be victims of violence compared to non-Indigenous women

It's Time

The City of Edmonton’s Gender Based Violence Prevention It's Time initiative aims to end gender based and sexual violence in Edmonton. Working together is the only way we’ll end gender based violence.

Do you have a question? Want to reach out? Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Toolkit and Resources

A toolkit is available for download, which includes helpful tips on things to do if you see gender based violence.

This is What it Feels Like

Men Edmonton, Hollaback Alberta and the City of Edmonton through the Gender based Violence initiative have partnered to bring This Is What It Feels Like to Edmonton for 2018. This powerful auditory art exhibit aims to shift attitudes and beliefs about street harassment by providing individuals the experience of being on the receiving end of catcalling and sexual harassment.

In the installation, participants walk into a dimmed enclosure to the sound of voices making harassing and objectifying comments commonly heard on the streets. The event may be triggering for some. Staff and resources will be available on site.

While the event is open to everyone, men are particularly encouraged to learn what it’s like to have this kind of experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gender based violence is caused by stereotypes about sexuality, gender roles and gender expressions. These stereotypes promote gender inequality because they include rigid expectations about:

What it means to be a man or a woman

Gender roles in society for men and women

What constitutes ‘normal’ romantic and sexual relationships

Which gender claims are valid, limiting these to only two: men and women

These attitudes send messages that men are more important than women and gender minorities. Stereotypes like these can limit some expressions of gender and create risks for some populations to experience humiliation, intimidation and control or physical, verbal, psychological, emotional and financial abuse.

Emotional and psychological abuse: Threats to murder or commit suicide, forced humiliation or degradation, isolation from friends and family and other actions that reduce freedom, independence and self-esteem.

Financial abuse: Stealing or controlling money or valuables. Forcing work on one or denying one’s right to work.

Spiritual abuse: Using religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate, dominate and control.

Harassment/stalking: Following or watching in an unwanted manner. Invading privacy in a way that threatens personal safety.

Cyber abuse: Abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile devices.

Domestic violence is the wilful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behaviour as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.

Gender based violence is everyone’s problem and it is far too prevalent. The statistics are sobering: one in four North American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and only six out of every 100 sex crimes are reported to the police (source: SexAssault.ca)

Though a majority of sexual assaults in Canada are committed by men against women and children, sexual violence can be experienced by anyone - people in same sex relationships, transgendered people and men.

People committing sexual violence are usually known to the person - a parent, partner, date, friend, acquaintance, caregiver, professional, teacher, co-worker, boss, coach, clergy or a person in a position of trust.

Gender based and sexual violence reduces one’s freedom to move, ability to participate in public life, limits access to essential services and has lasting impacts on one’s health and well-being.

While the greatest sexual assault risk factor is being female, risk increases if you are:

Young

Elderly

Poor

A person of colour

Indigenous

An Immigrant

Disabled

Criminalized or institutionalized

A sexual orientation or gender identity that does not conform to heterosexual gender norms

The City is engaging with stakeholders from all orders of government, nonprofit and private sectors, educational institutions and private citizens to address gender based violence. The City is committed to ending gender-based violence and is committed to:

Raising awareness of the issues and root causes

Creating dialogue about the problem and potential solutions

Learning from those with lived experiences

Changing attitudes in young people

Teaching Edmontonians - especially young men and boys - how to be great allies and stop the cycle of violence